Drier



Jan. 7, 1936. W MAR-HN n 2,026,991 l DRIER Filed sept. 21,- 1951- Curtinl N v E. N TO L wy' j? f A A TTQQNEJSQ Wcxldell L@ Patented Jan. 7, 1936UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE imma Wendell L. Martin, Cleveland, OhioApplication september 21, 1931, serial No. 564,072

4 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to driers, more particularly adapted for use indrying hair and the like, and has for an object the provision of a newand improved device of this character.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part ofthis application I have shown, for purposes of illustration, one formwhich my invention may assume, and in this drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of one embodiment of theinvention, showing parts thereof in elevation,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view corresponding substantially to theline 2-2 of Figure 1, while Figure 3 is a diagrammatic layout of theelectrical circuits employed in connection with said embodiment.

As shown in the drawing, said embodiment comprises a supporting ring I0,of heavy crosssection, having an encircling rib II, and provided with astud I2 adjustably clamped in a clamp I3 pivotally mounted, as at I4,upon a supporting pedestal I5.

At one side of the ring I0 there is secured a casing member I6 having anoffset edge |1 f'ltting over the outer surface of the adjacent portionof the ring I0 and secured in position by screws |8, said casing I6being substantially hemispherical in shape, with an opening. I9 at itsouter end, closed by a grating 2U having elongated openings 2|, and thegrating 2li is secured to the casing member I8 by rivets 22.

The opposite edge of the ring I0 supports a casing member 23 having anoffset edge 24 iitting over the ring I0 and secured in position byscrews 25, the casing member 23 converging outwardly and terminating ina ange 26, and secured to the flange 26 by rivets 21 is a hollow annularhead piece 28, formed to dispose its mouth at an angle to thelongitudinal axes of the casing members I6 and 23, terminating at itsouter end in a rolled bead 29, and disposed in the opening defined bythe bead 29, at the lower side thereof, is a tongue 30 secured to thehead piece 28 by a bolt 3|, the tongue 30 forming part of a ring 32, theflange 33 of which fits against the bead 29 of the head piece 28, andthe remaining portion of which is curved inwardly, as at 34, and beadedas at 35, and is adapted to fit closely about the head of the subjecttreated, a cut-out 36 being provided to accommodate the forehead struts38, laterally tilted at an angle to the plane in which the ring I0 lies,each having a flange 39, secured by a screw to the sleeve 31, and eachhaving a iiange 4D secured by a screw 4| to a thickened rib portion 42formed on the inner surface of the ring Ill, rubber insulating washers43 being disposed at each side of each flange 40. Secured within thesleeve 31 is a cylindrical body portion of a motor 44, having arearwardly extending armature shaft 45, to the rear extremity of whichis secured a centrifugal fan 46 having the blades thereof so arranged asto draw air inwardly through the openings 2| into the casing member I6,discharge said air spirally past the struts 38, the latter tilted not toimpede the spiral' swirling, and cause swirling of said air forwardlythrough the casing member 23 and still swirling into the head piece 28and into contact with the head of the subject.

Afnxed at the forward end of the body portion of the motor 44 is athreaded stud 41, extending through a central opening in a combinedshield and reilector member 48, the latter having a depressed wallportion 48 bearing against the forward surface of the body portion ofthe m0- tor 44, rearwardly curved as at 50, and then extending forwardlyas at 5I, and the stud 41 also extends through an opening in an annularsupporting member 52, and the supporting member 52 is accommodated in arecess formed in an insulating. disk 53, which may be of porcelain, andthe wall 49 of the shield member 48, the insulating disk 53, and thesupporting member 52 are all held in position upon the stud 41 by a nut54.

Arranged about the circumferential periphery of the disk 53 is a coil 55of a character when energized to generate radiant energy in the form oftherapeutic infra-red emanations, the coil 55 being annularly arranged,and the disk 53 and coil 55 of such size, as to dispose the coil 55within the annular compartment defined by the curved portions '50 and 5|of the shield member 48. A screen 51 is mounted in the mouth of theshield and reflector member 48 to prevent the hair of the subject fromcoming into contact with the coil 55.

By this arrangement the coil 55, while large enough to provide anadequate field of therapeutic emanations, and thus projecting into thepath of the annular stream of air passing through the apparatus, isshielded from the influence of said' air stream, and through thepresence of the insulating member 53, is also insulated from the shieldmember 48. The emanations from the coil 55 therefore are directed by thecombined shield member and reector i8 forwardly directly in line withthe head cavity of the head piece 28, operat- `ing to providetherapeutic emanationsl in an annular field surrounding a substantialportion of said head cavity. Furthermore due to the arrangement of theelements described a chamber 'l0 defined by the combined shield andreflector means and the adjacent walls of the head piece 28, isprovided, into which the swirling air stream is discharged and the airthus entering the chamber 1U swirls and eddies in the chamber 'I0 insuch manner that recirculating currents are set up which pass to and froin the chamber 10, into contact with the head of the subject when placedwithin the head piece 28, and with the heating coil 55, whereby therecirculated air is economically heated and the heat retained, allwithout bringing relatively cool air into contact with the heating coil55, the air in the chamber 10 gradually escaping from the head piece 28.

As shown in Figure 3, the motor @it and coil 55 are arranged in circuitsincluding a line wire 58 leading to the motor @d and to the coil 55,while another line wire 59 extends to the movable arm 60 of a switch 6l, having a terminal 62 connected by a conductor 63 to the other side ofthe motor 44 and to the terminal 64 of the switch 6|, said switch alsohaving a terminal 65 connected by a conductor 66 with the other end ofthe coil 55.

When the switch arm 60 of the switch 6I is in engagement with theterminal B2, only the motor 44 is operated, bringing about rotation ofthe centrifugal fan 66 which draws air inwardly through the openings 2land induces spiral ow of said air forwardly through the apparatus, suchair swirling through the annular pasage defined by casing members I6 and23, the sleeve 51 and motor 44, swirling thence around the combinedshield and reector member 48, the latter constrlcting the passage andsetting up a venturi action, and said air then swirling into the headpiece 28 and into contact with the head of the subject, thc swirlingaction of the air setting up the eddying currents heretofore referredand serving to prolong retention of the air within the chamber 10, andthereby prolong contact of the swirling air with the head of thesubject.

When the switch arm 60 is simultaneously engaged with the terminals 6Band 65 of the switch 6l, both the motor d@ and coil 55 are energized,operating simultaneously, and due to the provision of the combinedshield and reflector member A8 the coil 55 is protected from theiniiuence of the current of air passing through the apparatus, wherebysaid coil 55, assisted by the reecting properties of the combined shieldand reector member 48, is enabled to direct its beneiicial emanationsupon the head of the subject at maximum efficiency. The air swirlinginto the head piece eddies and recirculates in the chamber 'lil in suchmanner as to be retained therein, be warmed by the coil 55 and produceeddying and recirculating warm air currents, all with economy inexpenditure of heat energy and without dimini ishing the effectivenesscf the coil 55 through subjection'to relatively cool air.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodimentherein disclosed accomplishes at least the principal object of theinvention, and it will be further apparent that said invention has usesand advantages other than those herein particularly referred to, and italso will be understood that the said embodiment may be variouslychanged and modified without deaoaaaei parting from the spirit of saidinvention; accordingly it will be understood that the said embodiment isillustrative only and the invention is not limited thereto.

I claim: 5

1. A drier, comprising: annular casing means having an open end portionadapted to be directed toward a subject to be treated; a motor and fanunit disposed insaid casing and cooperating therewith to define anannular passage for air, 10 said motor and fan unit operating to eiectflow of a stream of air through said casing and into contact with saidsubject, said motor and fan unit carrying a threaded projection; aninsulating member carried by said projection and having 15 radiantenergy generating means mounted thereon, a shield mounted upon saidprojection for shielding said generating means from the stream of airpassing through said casing means, and a member threaded upon saidprojection and 20 clamping said insulating member and said shield in xedposition with reference to said motor and fan unit.

2. A drier, comprising: annular casing means having an open end portionadapted to be di- 25 rected toward a subject to be treated; a motor andfan unit disposed in said casing and cooperating therewith to dene anannular passage for air, and carrying a threaded projection, said motorand fan unit being operable to eiect 30 iiow of a stream of air throughsaid annular passage and into contact with said subject; an insulatingmember carried by said projection and having annularly arrangedgenerating means mounted thereon, for generating radiant en- 35 ergy inthe form of infra-red emanations, said generating means being ofsufficient lateral extent as to project into said annular passage; ashield for shielding said generating means from the stream of airpassing through said casing 40 l means, said shield having means forreiiecting emanations from said generating means directly toward saidsubject, and having a protective screen screening said generating meanswith reference tosaid subject; and a member threaded 45 upon saidprojection and clamping said insulating member and said shield in fixedposition with reference to said motor and fan unit.

3. A drier, comprising a casing having an open end portion adapted to bedirected toward a 50 subject to be treated, means for eiecting flow ofair through said casing and into contact with said subject, generatingmeans disposed in said casing and operable to generate radiant energywhen incandescent in the form of infra-red 55 emanations, an imperforatedish shaped shield partially enclosing said generating means so as toexpose said generating means toward said subject, said shield includinga perforate member supported thereby for fully enclosing said 6Ggenerating means and shielding same from the iniiuence of lthe aircurrent passing through and circulating within said casing to maintainincandescence of said generating means while permitting free emanationof radiant energy to- 65 ward the subject to be treated. i

4. A drier, comprising a casing having an open end portion adapted to bedirected toward a subject to be treated, means for effecting flow of airthrough said casing and into contact with 70 said subjecty generatingmeans disposed in said casing and operable to generate radiant energy,when incandescent, in the form of infra-red emanations, an imperforatedished shield partially enclosing said generating means so as to exposesaid generating means toward said subject, said shield including ascreen member at the front of said shield and cooperating with saidshield for fully enclosing vsaid generating 5 means and shielding samefrom the inuence of the air current passing through and circulatingwithin said casing, said shield being of larger diameter than saidgenerating means for facilitating the flow of air through said casingand for effecting preheating of the air current pessing through saidcasing.

WENDELL L. MARTIN.

